Maplefall City.
Originally an obscure town, it was only known for its ten-mile maple forest surrounding the area, where the red leaves were as crimson as blood, forming a spectacular sight. However, three hundred years ago, when the duel between Solitary Madman and the Crazy Great Master took place here, the town gained sudden fame across the land.
It is said that both men were martial cultivators of near-divine power, capable of unleashing unimaginable might with every movement. After battling continuously for seven days and nights, the heavens themselves seemed to rage and crimson rain fell like tears. In the end, both warriors collapsed from exhaustion and perished on the spot!
This was an unprecedented battle in the martial world over the past five hundred years, and it immediately sent shockwaves across the land. Many martial cultivators traveled from afar just to witness the sacred battleground of this legendary clash.
As a result, even though Maplefall City was once destroyed, it quickly rose again.
Moreover, whether due to the divine blood of these martial experts or some other reason, the maple trees in the forest began to sprout anew, their leaves as red as blood. These new maple trees possessed an almost miraculous effect—strengthening tendons and bones, and nourishing the blood. The “Red Leaf Pill” crafted from these unique maple leaves became a supreme elixir for children’s foundational cultivation. Controlled by the four major families and martial sects of Maplefall City, these pills became a major source of wealth, powerfully supporting the city’s prosperity.
“The legacy of a divine-level martial expert’s clash?”
Wu Ming recalled this legend and immediately felt a spark of interest: “I should definitely go and take a look…”
Since he had given the order, Lin Xinlan naturally followed without hesitation. With a flick of her horsewhip, the carriage slowly turned in the opposite direction.
“Master, there are guards ahead, and a roadblock has been set up!”
After driving for a while longer, Lin Xinlan’s voice came from the front.
“Hmm?”
Wu Ming lifted the curtain and immediately saw, not far away, a hillside covered in red maple leaves. Over the past three centuries, the original ten-mile maple forest had expanded continuously and now stretched for dozens of miles.
However, within this area, major roads were guarded by tough martial cultivators, and checkpoints were set up. These guards stared intently at passersby with sharp, piercing eyes—as if watching thieves!
Beside the checkpoint stood a notice board, clearly written in black ink on white paper, bearing four large seals below, representing the four major powers of Maplefall City.
“By mutual agreement of the four great families and sects of Maplefall City, the Blood Maple Forest is the property of Maplefall City. Red Maple Mountain is hereby declared a restricted area. Anyone who enters without permission shall receive forty lashes! Anyone who steals shall be executed!!!”
Lin Xinlan stuck out her tongue: “They sure have a lot of nerve!”
“Careful with your tongue, young lady!”
At this moment, an old man in a green robe riding a donkey sneered: “Look over there!”
Following his gesture, Lin Xinlan saw beside the checkpoint a group of more than a dozen people wearing wooden collars, their bodies bloodied and covered in whip marks. Judging by their attire, they were not martial cultivators but ordinary villagers.
Beside them were even several headless corpses, publicly displayed with their heads severed, a sight that made one’s hair stand on end.
“These people…” the old man chuckled, “some are woodcutters who accidentally wandered into the maple forest, while others…” He gave a knowing laugh.
“These blood maples have miraculous effects, but the Red Leaf Pill is monopolized by the four major forces of Maplefall City. Naturally, some martial cultivators take desperate risks. That’s bad enough, but what’s worse is that some black-hearted factions don’t dare to act themselves—they incite innocent villagers to steal, then buy the leaves at high prices. Greed moves the heart. You could say it’s a case of men risking death for wealth, just like birds risking their lives for food…”
A mocking expression crossed his face, though it was unclear whether it was aimed at the four major powers or the villagers.
“T-That’s too cruel!” Lin Xinlan’s face flushed with anger. “What crime have these common people committed to deserve such brutal treatment? Where is the law?”
“Hehe… you little girl, indeed long hair and short sight,” the old man chuckled. “In times of chaos, strict laws are necessary. If they showed leniency, the maple forest, vast as it is, might be completely looted. What would Maplefall City live on then?”
“As for the law? The four major powers of Maplefall City, and the Heaven-Observing martial cultivator they revere, that is the law!”
Lin Xinlan fell silent.
Since the chaos began, aristocratic families and sects had carved out their own domains, each ruling independently. She had thought her home county of Cangwu was already bad enough.
But she never expected the people in other regions to be living no better.
Cangwu had horse bandits causing trouble, but the major forces still maintained a certain level of restraint toward their own people. Even the bandits, as long as the annual tribute was paid, would not rashly kill—doing so would ruin their reputation and prevent them from collecting tribute year after year. Only those who no longer cared about their future would act so recklessly and destroy the source of their income.
But Maplefall City was clearly different.
She was a clever girl and said nothing further, only inwardly astonished: “I’ve even heard of the fame of the Red Leaf Pill. It must be extremely valuable. To have the four major forces enlist the support of a Heaven-Observing martial cultivator—even if only as a revered guest—is quite impressive…”
In this world, martial cultivators were categorized into specific rankings: the Heroic Rank, Earth-Origin Rank, Heaven-Observing Rank, and Divine-Demonic Rank…
The Heroic Rank was the foundation. Once one entered the Heroic Rank, one became a well-known expert across the land. Earth-Origin cultivators could appear on the Earth-Origin List and were local overlords ruling over a county. Heaven-Observing cultivators were even rarer, elusive like dragons, mostly belonging to the Eight Sacred Sects. Even among the free cultivators, those with established reputations were often pursued and recruited by various factions.
As for the Divine-Demonic Rank, it was a legendary list. However, the first place had never changed—it belonged to the Martial Emperor!
After all, the circumstances of his disappearance were quite strange. Given the lifespan of a Divine-Demonic cultivator, no one truly believed he simply died of old age. If the Martial Emperor were still alive, guarding the imperial capital, the Martial Dynasty would never have fallen.
“May I ask, old sir, what brings you here?”
At this moment, Wu Ming also stepped outside the carriage, gazing calmly at the old man in green.
The old man had a ruddy complexion, cloudy eyes, wore coarse cloth, had prominent muscles and dark skin, and at first glance, looked no different from an ordinary old farmer.
“I…”
Upon hearing Wu Ming’s question, a glimmer of sharpness flashed in the old man’s eyes: “I came to uphold justice. I wonder, young master, would you be willing to assist me in this righteous cause?”
Lin Xinlan suddenly shivered all over, looking at the old man with a completely new gaze.
If he were an ordinary person, how could he dare to speak like this—especially to her master?
Clearly, this old man was deeply skilled and seemed to have seen through their identities.
“No interest!”
Wu Ming waved his hand: “I merely heard that there are traces left from a duel between Divine-Demonic cultivators here… I came to take a look. As for other matters, I have no intention of getting involved!”
“Is that so? What a pity… a great pity!”
The old man shook his head repeatedly, appearing deeply regretful.
“What are you two doing?”
At this moment, their casual stop by the roadside, pointing and discussing openly, finally drew the attention of the guards at the checkpoint. A muscular man in tight clothing shouted: “This is a restricted area of Maplefall City! All idle people must leave immediately, or you will share the fate of those people!”
He pointed toward the corpses and punished individuals, a clear warning.
“Hehe… looks like these people have no intention of obediently retreating…”
The old man chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation.
“In that case, I’ll trouble you, old sir, to clear the way for me!”
Wu Ming coldly smiled. This old man had obviously recognized Lin Xinlan, and thus had come specifically for him.
Whether with good or ill intentions, he was clearly trying to manipulate him—and Wu Ming naturally hated such things the most.
As he spoke, his figure flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he had appeared behind the old man, standing atop the donkey, looking down from above.
“Not good!”
The old man was also a martial expert, but only when Wu Ming’s gaze locked onto him did he suddenly realize the danger. His entire body involuntarily tensed, and he instinctively tried to summon his inner energy.
But the next moment, a jade-like white hand pressed onto his back, effortlessly shattering his Divine Water Qi.
No! Not shattering—it was being manipulated!
The old man felt his inner energy, usually as obedient as his limbs, suddenly change masters today, rushing down into the Yongquan points of his feet. By the time he regained his senses, he was already flying high into the checkpoint.
“Someone is breaking through! Kill!”
To the onlookers, this man had been pointing around for a while, then suddenly displayed a high-level lightness technique called “Great Roc Spreading Wings,” rushing into the checkpoint. Clearly, he was an enemy, not a friend—what more needed to be said?
Immediately, they attacked en masse, fists and palms like wind, blades and swords slicing through the air, arrows flying like locusts.
Those guarding these checkpoints were naturally elite fighters. Combined with terrain advantages and equipment, even a typical Earth-Origin cultivator would face serious trouble if surrounded.
“Ha!”
The old man suffered in silence as his inner energy surged uncontrollably, causing him to involuntarily roar. His aura exploded outward.
Crackling!
The inner energy formed a storm of force, like an iron wall, rebounding all incoming attacks.
In just a moment, the martial artists who had surrounded the old man were all lying on the ground, suffering from their own inner energy backlash. The lightest injuries were broken limbs and shattered dantians.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind blew, and thick fog began to form, enveloping several miles in an instant.
“Heaven…”
“Heaven-Observing…”
The squad leader clutched his broken arm, his face pale as a corpse: “Hurry, notify the clan!”
“Never thought that after all these years hunting geese, I’d end up with a goose pecking my eyes!”
The old man finally calmed his inner energy, but his heart was filled with bitter laughter. Just from how easily the other party had subdued him and even manipulated his inner energy, almost turning him into a puppet, he knew this opponent was far beyond his ability to handle.
He had originally only recognized the girl’s familiar martial technique and wanted to test things a bit. Now, however, he had completely exposed his hand and suffered a crushing defeat.
Of course, his main purpose in coming here was to cause trouble for the four major powers of Maplefall City, so he hadn’t targeted the wrong people. Still, the bitterness in his heart was difficult to express.
“Where is Ke Heshi, the Heaven-Observing Sword of the Dividing Waters?”
Since he had already committed the first offense, he had no fear of the second. After a brief hesitation, seeing the alarm ringing and martial cultivators gathering around, he gathered his energy into his voice, sending it like thunder rolling across Maplefall City, audible to all.
Ke Heshi, the Heaven-Observing Dividing Waters Sword!
This individual ranked 30th on the Heaven-Observing List, a revered guest invited by the four major powers of Maplefall City at great expense!
This unknown old man had apparently come specifically for this person.
Whoosh!
Almost as soon as the words were spoken, a streak of sword light shot out from Maplefall City, moving at incredible speed. Moments later, it arrived at the scene, revealing a middle-aged man with slightly frosty temples, standing with a sword on his back, his eyes filled with solemnity: “You are… Divine Water Elder?!”
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